Alone in Different Languages
Discover 'Alone' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'alone' holds a profound significance in our lives, often representing a state of solitude or independence. It carries different connotations across cultures, from cherished solitude to feelings of loneliness. Understanding its translation in various languages can provide unique cultural insights and foster cross-cultural communication.
Historically, the concept of aloneness has been explored in literature, philosophy, and psychology. For instance, in existentialist thought, being alone can be seen as an opportunity for self-discovery and personal growth. Meanwhile, in many Eastern cultures, aloneness is a valued state, symbolizing inner peace and harmony.
Given the cultural importance of aloneness, someone might want to learn its translations to express their feelings accurately in different languages. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: solo
- French: seul(e)
- German: allein
- Mandarin: 独自 (dú zì)
- Japanese: 一人 (hitori)
Alone
Alone in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | alleen | ||
| "Alleen" in Afrikaans comes from the Dutch word "alleen" and also means "completely" or "only". | |||
| Amharic | ብቻውን | ||
| The word "ብቻውን" in Amharic can also mean "only" or "solely". | |||
| Hausa | kadai | ||
| The word "kadai" in Hausa, meaning alone, is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the solitary path or journey of a person who has chosen an independent or unconventional path in life. | |||
| Igbo | naanị | ||
| Naanị can also mean 'only', 'just', and 'apart from' in the Igbo language. | |||
| Malagasy | irery | ||
| The word 'irery' in Malagasy may also refer to a state of solitude or isolation. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | yekha | ||
| An alternative meaning of "yekha" is to be "in distress". | |||
| Shona | oga | ||
| The word "oga" can also mean "without" or "unless" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | kaligaa | ||
| The word "kaligaa" in Somali can also refer to an orphan or a person without relatives. | |||
| Sesotho | a le mong | ||
| The Sesotho word "a le mong" literally means "there is one". | |||
| Swahili | peke yake | ||
| The Swahili word "peke yake" can also mean "by oneself" or "on one's own". | |||
| Xhosa | ndedwa | ||
| The word derives from a Proto-Bantu root, *n-dɛ́d-wà, meaning "be/be alone." | |||
| Yoruba | nikan | ||
| The Yoruba word "nikan" has several alternate meanings, including "self," "only," "exclusive," and "single." | |||
| Zulu | yedwa | ||
| The word "yedwa" in Zulu could also mean "secret" or "hidden". | |||
| Bambara | kelen na | ||
| Ewe | akogo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | wenyine | ||
| Lingala | yo moko | ||
| Luganda | -kka | ||
| Sepedi | noši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nko ara | ||
Alone in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وحده | ||
| The word 'وحده' also translates to 'singularity', 'unity', or 'solitude' in English. | |||
| Hebrew | לבד | ||
| The Hebrew word "לבד" (levad) can also mean "except" or "besides". | |||
| Pashto | یوازې | ||
| The word "یوازې" in Pashto has a similar meaning to the Persian word "تنها" which means "alone" or "unique" | |||
| Arabic | وحده | ||
| The word 'وحده' also translates to 'singularity', 'unity', or 'solitude' in English. | |||
Alone in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vetëm | ||
| As a noun, "vetëm" can mean "singularity" or "unit". | |||
| Basque | bakarrik | ||
| The word “bakarrik” derives from the Basque word “bakar” (one) and the suffix “-rik” (the only one). | |||
| Catalan | sol | ||
| In Catalan, "sol" can also mean "only" or "just". | |||
| Croatian | sama | ||
| In Serbian, 'sama' refers to a woman's wedding dress | |||
| Danish | alene | ||
| The word 'alene' in Danish can also mean 'entirely', 'only', or 'merely'. | |||
| Dutch | alleen | ||
| The word "alleen" in Dutch can also mean "only" or "merely". | |||
| English | alone | ||
| The word "alone" comes from the Old English word "ana," meaning "apart". It can also mean "without others," "solitary," or "lonely." | |||
| French | seul | ||
| The word "seul" in French is derived from the Latin word "solus", meaning "alone", and also has the alternate meaning of "only". | |||
| Frisian | allinne | ||
| Frisian "allinne" is likely derived from Old Frisian "âlêna," from "âna" (one), suggesting "being one." | |||
| Galician | só | ||
| Só in Galician can also refer to a place of solitude or a period of time spent on one's own | |||
| German | allein | ||
| The German word "allein" stems from Middle High German "eine" and ultimately from Gothic "ain(an)" (meaning "one") with the connotation that there is one individual without any associates. | |||
| Icelandic | ein | ||
| In Old Norse, the word 'ein' originally meant 'one', while its meaning of 'alone' emerged later through semantic extension. | |||
| Irish | ina n-aonar | ||
| The Irish word "ina n-aonar" literally means "in the solitude" | |||
| Italian | solo | ||
| In Italian, "solo" also means "ground floor" or "basement": similar to English "subterranean". | |||
| Luxembourgish | alleng | ||
| The word "alleng", meaning "alone" in Luxembourgish, originates from the German "allein" or the French "seul", both meaning "alone". | |||
| Maltese | waħdu | ||
| The word "waħdu" is also used in Maltese to refer to something that is unique or one of a kind. | |||
| Norwegian | alene | ||
| The Norwegian word "alene" originally meant 'all by oneself' or 'without company' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sozinho | ||
| "Sozinho" originated from the Latin word "solus" (alone) which also gave rise to the English word "solitude". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | aonar | ||
| The word "aonar" has been used both as a preposition and adverb. | |||
| Spanish | solo | ||
| In Spanish, "solo" can also mean "only" or "merely". | |||
| Swedish | ensam | ||
| "Ensam" is derived from the Old Norse "einsamr," meaning "solitary, isolated, without companions." | |||
| Welsh | ar ei ben ei hun | ||
| The Welsh phrase 'ar ei ben ei hun' literally means 'on its own head' or 'by its own self' | |||
Alone in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адзін | ||
| The word "адзін" is related to the Sanskrit word "ekata", meaning "only one" | |||
| Bosnian | sam | ||
| The word "sam" in Bosnian can also refer to "only" or "just" as a conjunction in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | сам | ||
| "Сам" can mean "alone", but is also the Bulgarian word for "same" and is cognate with Russian "сам" (self) and Sanskrit "sama" (together). | |||
| Czech | sama | ||
| "Sám" means "alone," but also "himself," or in Old Czech, "together". | |||
| Estonian | üksi | ||
| "Üksi" is probably of Finnic origin and may derive from the Proto-Finnic word "üks", meaning "one", so the Estonian "üks" also means "one". The related Estonian verb "üksinda" means "to be alone". | |||
| Finnish | yksin | ||
| The word "yksin" is related to "yksi," meaning "one" and can also mean "single" or "unique." | |||
| Hungarian | egyedül | ||
| The word "egyedül" in Hungarian is derived from the word "egy" (one) and originally meant "as one", i.e. "alone". | |||
| Latvian | vienatnē | ||
| The word "vienatnē" (alone) originally referred to the state of being single or unmarried, and only later took on the meaning of being physically alone. | |||
| Lithuanian | vienas | ||
| The word "vienas" shares its root "vien-" with the words for "unity" ("vienybė") and "one" ("vienas"). | |||
| Macedonian | сам | ||
| The word "сам" also means "himself" and "one's own" in Macedonian | |||
| Polish | sam | ||
| The word "sam" also refers to single items or entities in Polish | |||
| Romanian | singur | ||
| The word "singur" in Romanian also means "unique" or "sole", and is derived from the Latin word "singularis". | |||
| Russian | один | ||
| "Один" is the Russian word for "one", but it can also mean "alone" or "lonely". | |||
| Serbian | сам | ||
| The word "сам" also has the alternate meanings of "oneself" and "same" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | sám | ||
| Sám can also be used to refer to the state of being widowed, as well as to emphasize loneliness. | |||
| Slovenian | sam | ||
| The word "sam" in Slovenian can also mean "the same" or "identical". | |||
| Ukrainian | поодинці | ||
| The word "поодинці" in Ukrainian is derived from the word "один" (one), and literally means "one by one". | |||
Alone in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | একা | ||
| The word "একা" in Bengali may also mean "single" or "without a partner or companion". | |||
| Gujarati | એકલા | ||
| The word "એકલા" (ekla) literally means "one" or "only" in Gujarati, emphasizing the sense of solitude. | |||
| Hindi | अकेला | ||
| एकला' का मतलब अकेले तो होता ही है, इसके अलावा यह एकल या एक संख्या को भी इंगित करता है। | |||
| Kannada | ಕೇವಲ | ||
| The term "ಕೇವಲ" originates from Sanskrit and also signifies "absolute" or "merely" in certain contexts. | |||
| Malayalam | മാത്രം | ||
| "മത്രം" (mātram), derived from Sanskrit, also denotes 'only' or 'merely' and 'alone' or 'single' or 'separate' | |||
| Marathi | एकटा | ||
| The word "एकटा" in Marathi is also used to refer to someone who is unique or special | |||
| Nepali | एक्लो | ||
| The term "एक्लो" (alone) may have connections to the Sanskrit root "eka" (one) and could be interpreted as "the state of being one with oneself."} | |||
| Punjabi | ਇਕੱਲਾ | ||
| The word 'ਇਕੱਲਾ' ('alone') derives from the Sanskrit word 'ekakala', meaning 'single' or 'unaccompanied'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තනිවම | ||
| The word "තනිවම" (alone) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "sthaniya" meaning "own place". | |||
| Tamil | தனியாக | ||
| The word "தனியாக" (alone) in Tamil is derived from the root "தனி" (self) and can also mean "separately" or "by oneself". | |||
| Telugu | ఒంటరిగా | ||
| The Telugu word "ఒంటరిగా" can also be used to describe a person who is isolated or has no companions. | |||
| Urdu | تنہا | ||
| The word "تنہا" can also refer to being "unique" or "unmatched". | |||
Alone in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 单独 | ||
| The word can also mean 'single', 'isolated', 'separate', or 'independent'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 單獨 | ||
| 單獨 in Chinese (Traditional) can also mean 'by oneself' or 'independently'. | |||
| Japanese | 一人で | ||
| The original meaning of 一人 (hitori) was "human being." | |||
| Korean | 혼자 | ||
| The word "혼자" (alone) in Korean can also mean "by oneself" or "without others". | |||
| Mongolian | ганцаараа | ||
| The Mongolian word "ганцаараа" can also mean "solitude" or "isolation." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တစ်ယောက်တည်း | ||
Alone in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sendirian | ||
| Derived from the Malay "sendiri" or "diri" to refer more to an abstract separation from society, and used in Indonesian to refer to the physical state of an individual being only with themselves. | |||
| Javanese | piyambakan | ||
| piyambakan's root, 'piyambe', means 'self', also used in the word 'piyambak' (alone), where '-an' is a suffix indicating a group or plural state.} | |||
| Khmer | តែម្នាក់ឯង | ||
| The word “តែម្នាក់ឯង” literally means “only one person,” but it can also be used to denote a feeling of loneliness or isolation. | |||
| Lao | ດຽວ | ||
| "ດຽວ" can mean "wait" or "in vain", and can be used colloquially as a conjunction meaning "and". | |||
| Malay | bersendirian | ||
| "Bersendirian" also means "lonely" in Malay, reflecting the emotional aspect of being alone. | |||
| Thai | คนเดียว | ||
| The word "คนเดียว" (alone) in Thai derives from the Old Khmer "kun-tiew" meaning "a single person". | |||
| Vietnamese | một mình | ||
| The word 'một mình' literally means 'by oneself,' but it can also imply a sense of 'solitude' or 'isolation'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mag-isa | ||
Alone in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yalnız | ||
| The word 'yalnız' is also derived from the Old Turkic term 'yalın', meaning 'naked' or 'barren'. | |||
| Kazakh | жалғыз | ||
| Жалғыз can also mean "the odd one out" | |||
| Kyrgyz | жалгыз | ||
| The word "жалгыз" is derived from the Proto-Turkic root "jalγïz" which also means "unique" and is related to "jaŋïz" which means "new" and "original". | |||
| Tajik | танҳо | ||
| "Танҳо" can also mean 'calm' or 'quiet' in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýeke | ||
| Uzbek | yolg'iz | ||
| The Uzbek word "yolg'iz" may have originated from the Mongolian word "yolq" meaning "to isolate," and also means "unique" or "special." | |||
| Uyghur | يالغۇز | ||
Alone in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻokahi wale nō | ||
| The word "hoʻokahi wale nō" in Hawaiian can also mean "exclusive" or "limited to one". | |||
| Maori | mokemoke | ||
| The word "mokemoke" has been used in Maori folklore to refer to a supernatural creature that inhabits forests. | |||
| Samoan | naʻo oe | ||
| The word "naʻo oe" can also mean "lonely" or "forsaken". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mag-isa | ||
| The Tagalog word "mag-isa" can also mean "to be independent" or "to be self-sufficient." | |||
Alone in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sapa | ||
| Guarani | ha'eño | ||
Alone in International Languages
| Esperanto | sola | ||
| The Esperanto word "sola" is derived from the Latin word "solus", meaning "alone". | |||
| Latin | solum | ||
| The Latin word 'solum' can also mean soil or ground, as seen in the word 'solitude' which literally translates to 'alone in the soil'. | |||
Alone in Others Languages
| Greek | μόνος | ||
| In ancient Greek, "μόνος" also means "unique". | |||
| Hmong | nyob ib leeg | ||
| "Nyob ib leeg" also means "to be independent" in Hmong, referring to a state of self-reliance and freedom from external influence. | |||
| Kurdish | tenê | ||
| The word "tenê" can also mean "one", "solitude", or "loneliness" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | tek başına | ||
| "Tek başına" originated from the Persian phrase "tek bedene" meaning "in a single body". | |||
| Xhosa | ndedwa | ||
| The word derives from a Proto-Bantu root, *n-dɛ́d-wà, meaning "be/be alone." | |||
| Yiddish | אַליין | ||
| אַליין derives from the Hebrew word לְעַצְמוֹ (le'atzmo), meaning "by oneself". In Yiddish, it can also mean "independently" or "of one's own accord". | |||
| Zulu | yedwa | ||
| The word "yedwa" in Zulu could also mean "secret" or "hidden". | |||
| Assamese | অকলশৰীয়া | ||
| Aymara | sapa | ||
| Bhojpuri | अकेले | ||
| Dhivehi | އެކަނި | ||
| Dogri | इक्कला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mag-isa | ||
| Guarani | ha'eño | ||
| Ilocano | agmay-maysa | ||
| Krio | wangren | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تەنها | ||
| Maithili | असगर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯊꯟꯇ | ||
| Mizo | a malin | ||
| Oromo | qofaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଏକାକୀ | ||
| Quechua | sapalla | ||
| Sanskrit | एकाकी | ||
| Tatar | ялгыз | ||
| Tigrinya | ንበይንኻ | ||
| Tsonga | wexe | ||